Lisle, Illinois ~ Benedictine University's 2010 freshman class is interested in science and education, is 55 percent female, hails primarily from the suburbs of Chicago and is the second-largest freshman class ever enrolled during the school's 123-year history.

Four hundred forty-three freshmen began fall classes at Benedictine University, compared to the 445 who started the fall term one year ago, the 427 who started the fall term in 2008 and the 261 who began the fall term in 1999. The average grade point average of this year's freshman class is 3.3 (on a 4.0-point scale) and the average incoming composite ACT score is 23.

"We are extremely pleased that so many outstanding high school students have chosen to continue their education at Benedictine University," said Kari Gibbons, Associate Vice President of Enrollment. "We received the second-highest number of applications in our history."

Fifty-five percent of the freshman are female and 38 percent indicated that they are minority students. Eight-one percent are from the suburbs, reflecting a growing national trend as students choose to stay closer to home.

Benedictine University also welcomed 309 students who transferred from community colleges and other four-year institutions, an increase of 16 percent over last year. More than 90 previously attended College of DuPage.

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Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 56 undergraduate majors, 16 graduate and four doctorate programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently ranked Benedictine University as the seventh fastest-growing campus among private nonprofit master’s universities, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among the top 20 percent of America’s colleges for 2011. Benedictine University’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain’s Chicago Business as the fourth largest in the Chicago area in 2011.